Wondering what really happens when you delete a file on Windows? Learn how deletion works, where files go, and if you can recover them.

Windows won't let you delete, move, or rename a file if a program is using it. Frustratingly, it also won't tell you which program is using the file so that you can solve the problem.

Sdelete, short for Secure Delete, is a powerful but little-known tool from Microsoft's Sysinternals suite that permanently wipes files and folders by overwriting data.

Learn how to delete residual files, folders, registry keys & traces after uninstalling software on a Windows 11/10 computer.